The Secret of NIMH: Jonathon Alive
by Cloud9Lioness
Summary: Who is Jonathon Brisby? We know he was friend of the rats, and was considered the bravest of them all. But what if he didn't die and made it back to his wife in time to be patched up from his encounter with Dragon? Would he be the considerate husband we all expect him to be, or would he do all in his power to keep his dark secrets of NIMH from his wife at all costs?
1. Prologue: He lived

Hello there readers! I hope you enjoy this oneshot of one of my favorite childhood films. I often wonder what kind of character Jonathon was, and so I wrote this. If this story gets enough love, I can try to make an entire re-adaptation of the movie. But only if enough people ask. Otherwise It will be left a oneshot.

Enjoy, The Secret of NIMH: Jonathon Alive.

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_Jonathon Brisby was wounded today, helping out with the Plan. It's been four years since our departure from NIMH, and our world is changing... we cannot stay here much longer. Jonathon is a dear friend to the rats of NIMH. But your wife, she knows nothing of us. Perhaps it is best I do nothing at the present moment... but watch._

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"Oh Jonathon! How could you have done something so stupid!" Elizabeth cried. "Dragon could have killed you today!"

The grey mouse with brown spots chortled uneasily. "Tis but a scratch, my dear!" Jonathon said in a mock-cocky tone. He laughed at the ire in his wife's eyes. She was a sweet and timid creature, but even she another side to her. He loved her for it.

Elizabeth gaped. "A scratch -_ you call this a scratch_! Jonathon Brisby, so help me, if you ever go into that house ever again,"

Jonathon hushed her with a finger. "Now, now dear," he tried.

She swatted his hand away. "Oh, don't you say a thing to me, Jonathon! You are staying in bed until that 'scratch' heals. By god, he could have taken your leg off!" She shook her head, wrapping the bandages tightly.

Jonathon flinched. "A-ah! That's a bit tight!"

The lovely mouse turned a deaf ear to her whining husband. "Mm-hm. It's for your own good, my dear."

Jonathon pouted and crossed his arms. "I feel like like my opinion has suddenly lost credit in this house." He blew some hair strands out of his face in his hissy-fit.

Elizabeth reached her arm and brushed his hair to the side in one sweeping motion. "Well, if maybe you didn't act like Martin's age, I'd be more inclined to listen to reasoning. Why _did_ you go into that house? You know the dangers of it."

The male shrugged. "Oh you know, just wanted to get more food for the kids. And with Timothy so sick, I wanted to see if I could find something that could help." Jonathon expertly lied. He didn't like doing it, at least not to his wife of all people._ 'If I want to protect her, I must do all I can to keep my other life a secret.'_ He thought sadly.

Elizabeth Brisby shook her head. "Oh Jonathon. I know you care about this family, but what if you actually died today? What do you think would happen to us? We would be so lost without you." She said grievously. It was evident in her voice, she was still shaken by the possible alternate outcome.

Jonathon couldn't help but feel guilt swell up inside him. _'Oh Jonathon, now looks what you've done.'_ He scolded himself harshly. _'Damn NIMH, making this so difficult.'_ His eyes softened. _'But it is also my fault as well...'_ He opened his mouth to try to create sentiments with his wife, but found she was already across the block, wrapping her cloak around herself. His mouth floundered like a fish out of water. "H-h-honey! Wh-where are you going, deary?"

"I'm going to see Mr. Ages. He knows how to make medicine." She said briskly. "Jonathon, don't you dare leave this house." She said in a warning tone. "I don't want you more hurt than you are now. And it doesn't help, Timothy is getting worse."

He saluted her. "Yes ma'am!" He quickly replaced his complacent attitude, with a more demure one, when she put her hands on her hips irascibly. He quickly laid down on the bed, pulling the covers over himself. He coughed. "I mean - uh - Yes ma'am..." he said, his eyes swiftly meeting hers, then looking away fearfully.

Mrs. Brisby gave a stern nod before facing away and leaving their cinder-block-house.


	2. Medicine, Crows, and Shrews

The Secret of NIMH: Jonathan Alive

I decided I would continue this story. Keep in mind, I am in college, so that will obviously be more important than fanfiction.

A big thanks to my first reviewer for telling about my spelling error! I had no idea I was spelling Jonathan wrong the whole time! XD I checked the correct spelling on the web and hopefully I broke my habit of spelling it wrong. I will leave the first chapter alone, just people can see my mistakes.

I hope you enjoy this fanfic-adaption of the Secret of NIMH!

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"Mr. Ages! Mr. Ages? Is anybody home!" Elizabeth shouted into the fuming threshing-machine.

She was greeted with a cranky, echoey, "Go away!"

Mrs. Brisby slowly slid into the entrance of the machine. She cautiously eyed one of the sharp, metal spikes on her decent. "Mr. Ages!"

"What is it!" It sounded like he bumped his head.

"Mr. Ages!" She said with a bit more force. "May I please speak to you!"

"What!?"

Elizabeth looked down a dark chute and shouted. "I said, may I please speak-" she gasped as the old mouse had climbed up from the platform behind her, coughing up fumes. "-with you..." She pressed a hand to her heart in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I'm so glad you're home."

Mr. Ages hacked a bit more, taking off his glasses to rub the smoke off of them. "Confounded machine! You never know when it's gonna up and blow!" He said aggravated.

"Yes." She quickly agreed with him. "I don't suppose you would remember me."

"Yes, yes. You're Mrs. Brisby." He said bearishly. He looked at his cleaned glasses. "Now if you'll excuse me." He ducked back under the platform.

"Mr. Ages!" She cried after him.

"Great Jupiter women! What do you want!" He shouted in a cranky-sort of whine.

She turned quickly, as he had appeared on the other side of the platform. "Mr. Ages, I know you don't like visitors, but this is an emergency, please."

As if on cue, the machine rattled, startling the mice. Mr. Ages fell and rolled down the thresher like a slide, falling over the edge. Elizabeth quickly chased after with mouse-like grace. She peered over the edge to see the elder mouse laying on a basket, held up by a rope system.

"Ma-" He coughed. "Madame, _that_ is an emergency!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Oh, Mr. Ages. My son Timothy is so sick, and Jonathan is in bad condition as well."

Mr. Ages pulled the rope, making the basket rise. "Timmy? The one with the spider bite? Just give him some pepsissiwa root and-"

Elizabeth grabbed him by his shirt. "No! No, he's sick with a fever!"

He sighed, exasperated with the mother. "Well, I guess I could fix something up for him. And your husband too."

The brown farm mouse clasped her heart. "Oh, thank you!"

"Follow me, but _don't touch_ anything!" He said in grouchy warning. "Understand?"

She nodded, climbing into the basket.

.

Jonathan sighed. He wasn't sure how to react. The Plan had gone without a hitch, meaning the time for moving day was near. Drugging Dragon had been his mission, and he almost payed for it with his life. _'It'll be worth it._' He thought. Thorn Valley was almost in fruition. The rats wouldn't have to live in fear of humans any longer!

But he couldn't leave his family behind. How could he suddenly explain the last three-and-a-half years of their relationship? He had constantly lied to her, to the point it felt almost normal! To just suddenly blurt out the truth would just be... be...

"She would hate me forever... and she would have every right too." He murmured into the sheets. He inhaled. They smelled like her. _'No... I can't tell her the truth__. It would ruin everything.'_ He exhaled, getting drunk off her scent. _'... but she will notice... she'll grow old, and I... will stay young, along with the kids.'_ He burrowed his face in the sheets dejectedly. "Oh, what have I done... we're married with four kids, and yet she still thinks I'm solely a farm mouse._ I am such a fool!_" He raised his head, looking towards the make-shift door. "I have dug my own grave. Now it is only a matter of time before I'm pushed into it."

The depressed mouse sighed, then shifted onto his back. "No use lamenting over it." He tested his leg, seeing if he could move it without inflicting pain. No dice. "Augh!" He muffled his cry into the pillow, as to not alert the kids. _'Nope. No use trying to walk out. I could never run out to see Nicodemus then come back. She'd be here before I could even limp even remotely close to the rosebush.'_ He groaned. '_And then I'd be in real trouble with her.'_

Rolling onto his back once more, Jonathan relaxed his muscles and let out a deep breath. _'May as well get some sleep...'_

.

Elizabeth walked down the path to home. The old mouse had given her medicine to bring down Timothy's fever, and help Jonathan cope with the pain of his leg. She walked into a log, but her ears twitched, hearing something ahead.

A crow flapped uselessly against the red string he was tangled up in. The mouse couldn't help her curiosity and climbed up the log. She laid her medicine packets on some of the caught string and looked down at the thwarted bird. She couldn't help but smile in amusement. "Is everything alright, here?" She almost giggled.

The crow let out panicked cries before realizing it was just a mouse. "Lady! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Elizabeth said apologetically.

"Oh, uh. You didn't frighten me. You just, uh, broke my concentration!" He excused himself.

"It looks like your all tangled up!" Mrs. Brisby responded to the bird, starting to untangle the knots.

The bird climbed up. "Uh, yeah! That's enough exercise for one day!" He chuckled sheepishly. "Besides, I'm really after this terrific string!" He said enthusiastically. "I'm working on a love nest for two." He snickered. "You know what I mean?"

"Oh I see," She pulled some string from his foot."you have a girl."

"Well," He started, shaking some tangled string off. "not really. I mean, I haven't found miss right, yet. But when I do," He got up, dramatically, swooning against the string. "_The whole world, will hear us singing_!" He fell backwards into the water.

Elizabeth watched the eccentric bird climb back up apologizing to no one. "You keep making all that noise, and Dragon will hear you!" She warned him. She kinda liked him. He was sort of an oddball, but he was quite humorous. Now if only he could stay quiet for just a minute. "If he hasn't already..."

"But wouldn't you sing too, if you felt the call of the world!"

"I would-" She lowered her voice. "I would not, if I knew there was a cat nearby." She bit the string with her sharp teeth.

"But _she's_ out there! Somewhere! And when I find her, I'll feel it! Way down in my wishbone! I ah - what cat?"

"Dragon." She said in a low voice. "He belongs to Farmer Fitzgibbons. Look towards the house. See if you can see him." The crow flies onto the logs dead branch, causing the mouse to shriek in fear. "C-come back down here! He'll see you for sure!"

"Hey! Is that your relatives over there?" He asked.

"What?" Elizabeth, out of curiosity, climbed the string to where the crow was. True to his word, there were rodents near the Fitzgibbons house. But they weren't mice but... rats!

Mrs. Brisby shook her head. "N... no... I'm not a rat, I'm a mouse..." She continued to watch, as a small patrol of rats entered the house one-by-one from a house under the houses front door. "Why would a group of rats want to go inside?" She asked herself.

Suddenly the black bird flew down from the branch and pecked at the string. "There's no cat out there. Not that it mattered! I'm allergic to cats, I'd be sneezing my brains out if there was one nearby. Hey, by the way, I'm Jeremy!" He said enthusiastically.

Mrs. Brisby still felt off about what she saw, she almost ignored him. "Yes... Oh! I'm Mrs. Brisby! It's very nice to meet you, Jeremy!" She said politely, while biting the strings.

The crow shook the excess string off of him. "Thanks!" He flapped his wings, gathered the cut string in his talons. "You did me a real favor!"

"Oh, your welcome." The she-mouse replied. She picked up pack of medicine and started climbing down the log. "Goodbye!"

"W-wait a minute!" He tripped and fell into the water again. "s'cuse me, pardon me!" He climbed himself onto a stone. "Do you like me!"

"Of course I like you. Bye now." She hopped the stones.

"No! I mean, uh... you don't think I'm clumsy or anything?"

The mouse stopped on the rock and faced him. "If you want to father a nest, you'll need to learn how to properly treat a lady!" She informed.

The bird flapped the water out of his wings, ruffling his feathers. "You're right! And when you're right, you're right! And you're right!" He paused for a moment. "Say, you used to be a girl once. You could teach me too... teach me too..."

"Behave yourself?" She filled in. She hopped off the stone and into the edge of the tall grass.

"I'm not that bad!" He defended himself.

"Jeremy, I really need to get home now."

"Ooh! Let me fly you home! We can talk on the way."

She shook her head. "Oh, no, no! I'm afraid of heights."

He followed after her into the grass. "Okay! We'll walk then."

"Bye now."

No dice, the crow trailed her steps. "I think I got real potential! Girls like the athletic type, right?"

"Jeremy, your stepping on my tail."

"Oh! Excuse me, pardon me!"

.

Jonathan woke up in his bed. His internal clock telling him it was late. He felt himself worry, as his wife wasn't home in bed with him. _'Visiting Mr. ages and coming back couldn't take so long... unless something happened to deter her from coming home.'_ He stretched his bandaged leg, testing it. "Still hurts, but I can manage." He got out of bed and limped for a stick. Using it as a crutch, he balanced himself. His ears pricked up at the sound of an argument.

"Spoiled brat!"

"Loud mouth!"

Jonathan rubbed his temples. "And once more... they are at it again." He shook his head. While he wasn't a fan of Auntie Shrew's pompous behavior, he wished Martin would learn to tolerate it, as he did. _'Better do something before the damage is done.'_

He stepped out of his room, to see Auntie Shrew falling down the steps, and the children giggling.

_'Too late.'_ He smacked his palm against his face. He opened his mouth to reprimand his son.

"Martin!" Elizabeth called out. "Auntie Shrew! What's going on?" She asked worriedly.

"Indeed!" The shrew huffed, walking past her.

"Please, come back inside." The gentle mouse offered.

"Not for a King's ransom!" Auntie Shrew pointed her cane accusing at Martin. "I just have one thing to say; that child is a brat!"

"Yes, I_ will_ speak to him." Elizabeth tried to console.

Auntie Shrew nonchalantly shrugged off her words. "I came to inform you, the frost is off the ground and moving day is at hand. Prepare to move your very, very odd family. Good day!" She turned and waddled off, mumbling obscenities under her breath.

"Martin." Jonathan said his name in a strict tone.

The young mouse flinched, looking at his father nervously. "Y-yeah dad?"

The lab mouse walked up the stairs with his make-shift walking cane. Then he looked back down. "We're going to have a talk. Come on."

The young mouse sighed dejected and followed after his old man. He knew what was coming. "... yes dad..."

Mr. Brisby gave a nod at his wife. "Give Timothy his medicine, I'll be back after I'm done disciplining our son."

Martin scuffled his foot against a pebble. "I'm sorry." He said meekly.

Elizabeth patted his shoulder. "Don't be too harsh, you know he means well." She gently implied, then walked down the steps to make Timothy his soup.

Jonathan watched the lithe form of his wife gracefully step down the stairs. She was such a beautiful creature, and he felt himself so lucky to have her. His mind drifted to earlier. To how he would age slowly... she would never see the kids grow up.

_'Kids!'_ He remembered what he was doing.

He looked down to see his eldest son. Martin twiddled his thumbs in guilt, nervously waiting to be scolded.

"Come along. We need to talk about that behavior of yours." Jonathan walked into the grass for a quiet place to talk to his son.

"Yes dad." He responded dolefully, tailing his father into the quiet brush.

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I hope you enjoyed reading!

Remember to review, as that makes me less lazy and more likely to write more!


	3. Flying Dreams and Rat Schemes

Secret of NIMH: Jonathan Alive

I decided to give this chapter to you guys early. Why? Because I don't know when I'll be updating next. Probably in January at earliest. I have my final exams coming up, and some last-minute Christmas shopping to pull off! So enjoy this chapter, since it'll be the last for awhile.

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Mrs. Brisby poured the steaming broth from the tiny teapot into two bowls. She gently put it down and poured the packets of medicine into them. She left Jonathan's bowl on the table, and took her son's to his room.

Timothy laid in bed, very thin. His breathing was raspy and very uneven. He barely registered that his mother was there, but he recognized her beautiful lullaby.

Elizabeth took a spoonful of soup, cooled it under her breath and fed it to him. "_Dream by night, wish by day. Love begins this way_."

Little Cynthia peeked over the end of the bed, watching her brother pitifully sip the soup he was given.

"_Night's a friend, with love to send, each new day. Bless your heart, bless your soul. Let your dreams come true._"

A scolded Martin walks in, his hands behind his back. He watched his little brother drink. Thoughts of being reprimanded fled, seeing his brother so helpless in bed.

"_Future songs and flying dreams, wait for you..._"

.

Jonathan sighed wistfully, hearing his wife's lovely voice. The mouse couldn't help but smile, intoxicated with how much he loved her. She was just so perfect in his mind. He blew his soup, cooling it before drinking from the bowl in one gulp.

"Is Timmy gonna die?"

He spat it all out upon those words, covering the table in spitted broth.

He heard his wife respond to their youngest daughter. "No sweetheart. He's just very sick."

"What's the matter with him?"

"Mr. Ages called it... pneumonia."

"Pneumonia..." Teresa repeated in question.

Jonathan ceased his eavesdropping in favor of cleaning up the mess he made. He felt fear crawl in his heart. It was just possible that they might lose their youngest son. He shook his head. Any day now, the plow would come to wreck their home! Timothy can't afford the risk of catching a chill - he would surely die! "I can't let that happen..." He said to himself quietly. "But how..."

As if suddenly struck by lightening, it hit him. An idea slowly formed in his clever and analytically wired mind.

He knew what he had to do... he just needed to find a way to do it...

.

Elizabeth Brisby shuffled in her soft bed. She had just finished giving Timothy a soup with Mr Ages healing powder. She could only hope her son would feel better in time, before the farmer was ready to plow the fields bare for his crops. They needed to be on their way to their summer home in the forest by that time, or their would be trouble.

She pawed at the sheets, hoping to feel her loving husband. She opened her tired eyes, adjusting to the darkness, and looking about. "Honey?" She said in just a slightly raised voice - she didn't want to wake the children of course. "Come to bed, dear." She felt herself missing his warmth. The bed felt so cold with loneliness without his presence to guide her to flying dreams.

"I'll be there in a minute, love." Was the soft, caressing call of her lover.

Elizabeth couldn't help the giddy smile that touch her fluffy, rosy cheeks. He had such a strong, young, handsome voice. She could feel herself falling in love with him all over again.

The mouse in question waddled into the room with his Moses-like stick-cane. "Hello." He said in such a light, airy tone.

"Hi." She breathlessly replied to her goofy husband. "Are you coming to bed, deary?"

"Well, unless you want me to sleep to the floor." He joked.

"Just come to bed." Elizabeth said, playfully exasperated.

Jonathan complied immediately. "But of course, milady." He placed his cane to the side of the wall near the bed, then carefully slid into the sheets. He wrapped an arm around his mate and held her intimately close. "Miss me, my sweet cherry?"

She snuggled even closer and inhaled a smell that was just undeniably him. She fingered his woolly chest, curling the strands around her slim digits. "I would always miss you, sweetheart." She giggled like a school girl.

He tilted her chin, to look into her deep blue eyes. "Sweet sun and moon, how did I end up with such a perfect being for a wife?" He said softly. "One would think you were just a figment of my imagination." He joked.

Elizabeth turned her face out his hand. "Oh stop!" She blushed.

He nuzzled her neck - a ticklish spot. "It's true." He breathed against her skin. Without her notice, his eyes dimmed with sadness. "... you could have had better than me..."

Not catching the sudden change in demeanor, Elizabeth reached out and ticked his stomach. This caught him off guard, and loud guffaws came pouring out of his mouth. He quickly tried to muffle himself with one hand, while trying to fend her off with the other. "S-s-s-sh-shtaw-stop! Mercy! Please!"

In an airy queen-like huff, Mrs. Brisby crossed her arms. "Your just desserts for getting out of bed."

"Oh come on!" He defended. "I was just checking on the kids!"

Elizabeth made a mock-thinking face. "Hmm..." She shook her head. "Nope! Doesn't count."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in. "Oh, you sneaky little _rat_ you are." He said in an almost dark tone.

A memory clicked in her mind. "... rats... Oh, Jonathan. I saw rats today."

Jonathan felt his blood run as cold as ice. "W-wh-what..."

Mrs. Brisby tapped her chin, remembering. "... there was this crow, tangled in string. I helped him, and wile doing so, we saw rats doing something strange."

Jonathan gulped. "S-strange?"

She gave a firm nod. "Yes. They were sneaking inside the farmers house. I don't understand why, I mean, Dragon's in there. I know rats are bigger than mice, but no rat is in any league with a full grown cat! What could have been so important, that they needed to sneak inside?"

"Food?" Jonathan tried.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. The woods are just over the fence. Finding food shouldn't be a problem since spring is here."

Jonathan nervously chuckled. "I think your thinking too much over it. Rats are just rats, nothing more, nothing less. Lets just get some sleep now."

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a nagging suspicion, that those rats were up to something. But she was very tired, and decided to let sleep win this round. She could think about it, first thing tomorrow morning...

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Thank you for reading! If you like my story, review it! Tell me what you like, dislike, or just your opinion on the movie in general!

Reviews make me a happy camper, and inspires me to write more!


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